Palestinian Knesset members prepare to meet with Israel's president as first Arab-majority party

Palestinian Knesset members can potentially dominate the Israeli electoral opposition as they prepare to meet President Reuven Rivlin.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

21 September, 2019

Palestinian turnout in last week's elections was exceptionally high [Getty]

Parties belonging to Palestinian citizens of Israel are set to be the largest non-ruling bloc in parliament with the possibility of leading the opposition if a government is formed from elections that took place earlier this week.

A high turnout of Palestinian citizens of Israel taking to the polls meant Palestinian-dominated Joint List 13 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, making it the third-largest parliamentary group behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, with 31 seats.

His rival Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White, has been left with 33 as the two almost tied on Tuesday’s elections. On Thursday, Netanyahu acknowledged he was unable to form a right-wing coalition as he hoped and called on Gantz to join him in a unity government instead.

Gantz responded by saying he would have to be prime minister in a unity government since Blue and White was the largest party.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin plans to begin consultations with all parties voted into parliament on Sunday to decide who to choose to try to form a government.

Palestinian Knesset members have announced they are preparing to speak to Rivlin.

“Joint faction meeting on the eve of President Rivlin's arrival tomorrow. The meeting at the beginning and a decision has not yet been made. Serious and in-depth discussion”, Palestinian Knesset member Ahmed Tibi tweeted on Saturday.

If Joint List head Ayman Odeh, 44, becomes opposition leader, he would obtain monthly briefings from the Mossad intelligence agency and meet visiting heads of state, among other extras.

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